The announcement of last year's Rap Class rang so loudly that we had to step back in the arena and cause more noise. Sure, it was controversial to single out fewer than a dozen young talents from a crowded field of noisemakers, but those are the breaks. Plus — like we said last year — this list doesn't necessarily comprise the best, or even the most popular, rising Hub rhymers, but rather a kaleidoscopic cross-section of Boston's varied scene.

Our selections aren't all rookies — some, like Rite Hook, even have a few stripes on their sleeves. But what these acts do have in common is that they're all currently causing sparks on account of fresh, innovative approaches — from Hook's nu-straightedge punk-rap persona, to Moufy's unique connection with fans from Roxbury to the 'burbs. It's a diverse smorgasbord — we have a seasoned battle titan, one seriously fatal femme, and lots of head-nod instigators.

We also kicked it up a notch, and invited 10 of our favorite young hip-hop video makers with Boston ties to create original productions for thePhoenix.com. In some cases it was like a rap orientation session — assigning MCs to pair off with directors they'd never even met. The ensuing clips speak for themselves. And be sure to catch members of the Rap Class of 2011 at Church on October 4.

BOSTON'S RAP CLASS OF 2011 | September 29, 2011 The announcement of last year's Rap Class rang so loudly that we had to step back in the arena and cause more noise.

DOMO ARIGATO | May 02, 2011 When Czech playwright Karel Capek first used the word "robot" nearly a century ago, it was to describe a coldly calculating machine, evil in its perfection and scornful of human frailty. And so began our fascination with the possibility of humanoid machines designed to be our underlings but destined to be our overlords.